Machine for the continuous casting of metal rods



l. PROPERZI 2,659,948

MACHINE FORTHE CONTINUOUS CASTING OF METAL RODS Nov. 24, 1953 Filed Dec. 6. 1950 Hilllllll INVENTOR. Ilario Properzi channel.

Patented Nov. 24, 1953 MACHINE FOR THE CONTINUOUS CASTING OF METAL RODS Ilario Properzi, Milan, Italy Application December 6, 1950, Serial No. 199,387

Claims priority, application Italy January 21, 1950 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for continuously casting metal rods.

Machines for the continuous casting of indeterminate lengths of metal rods are known. In some of such machines the liquid metal is poured into a channel provided on the periphery of a rotatable casting Wheel and closed by a flexible ribbon which engages the periphery of the wheel for movement with said wheel.

As disclosed in my co-pending patent application, Serial Number 78,372, filed February 25, 1949, the ribbon may be in the form of an endless band looped over the casting wheel and an idler pulley having an axis of rotation parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of the casting wheel.

Although thesemachines represent a notable improvement in the manufacture of metal rods and wires, in particular from non-ferrous metals, they must be carefully operated due to the difficulty of adjusting the outflow of the liquid metal from the nozzle of the crucible into said castin As a matter of fact, if the quantity of outflowing metal is excessive, a turbulence occurs, which causes stoppage of the casting operation, whilst scarce outflow of metal causes defestive shaping not in compliance with industrial requirements.

The requirement for adjusting the delivery of liquid metal appears even more desirable as it may be necessary for the operator to be able to vary the speed of the casting wheel in accordance with the quality of the metal employed and with the shape of the cross-section of the rod to be obtained, and it would consequently be desirable to vary also the quantity of delivery of the fluid stream from the crucible.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved continuous metal casting machine of the type having a rotatable casting wheel. or drum with a peripheral casting groove to cooperate with an endless band looped about the periphery of the casting wheel and an adjacent idler wheel whose axis of rotation is parallel to but spaced from the casting Wheel axis of rotation, the improvement providing for the ad- J'ustment of the delivery of molten metal to the casting groove during operation of the machine and the adjustment of the speed of rotation of the casting wheel during operation of the machine.

A feature of the present invention as provided in a continuous casting machine of the kind hereinbefore described is the arrangement wherein the idler pulley and the pouring crucible are about the axis of the casting wheel.

by varying the inclination of the crucible.

can be rotated and fixed in the desired position When rotating pivotal support, the crucible assumes different inclinations and with equal quantities of metal contained therein, the fluid head varies with respect to the delivery cross-section of the pouring spout and, therefore, the delivered quantity of the fluid vein flowing out of it varies. The machine-according to the invention may be further provided with a continuous speed changer, with which it is possible to vary the speed of rotation of the casting wheel in accordance with the difierent requirements of difierent metals being cast, and to compensate for changes efiected Further objects, features and the attending ad'- vantages of the invention will be apparent with reference to the following specification and drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a machine according to the invention for the continuous casting of metal rods;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the machine; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in section of the pouring crucible.

The machine comprises essentially a casting Wheel or drum I rotatable about the axle 2 and rotated by means of a chain 3 connected to the ear reducer 4 which in turn is driven by the motor 5 through a continuous speed changer 6 of any suitable known form.

The wheel or drum I is provided with an annular channel 1 on the periphery thereof which is adapted to be closed by a flexible ribbon 8. The ribbon is looped over the wheel I and the idler pulley 9 in such a manner as to form an endless band.

The casting wheel I is cooled in a known man, ner by means of water circulating in the inter- .space I 0 of the Wheel I and arriving and discharging through the hollow spokes of said wheel. I The numeral II designates the crucible from which the molten metal is poured tangentially into the channel I by way of the spout I2. According to the present invention, the crucible II and the idler pulley 9 are mounted on a common pivotal support I3, which can rotate about the axle 2 of the casting wheel I. The pivotal support I3 is rotated by operating the crank handle I4 carried on the support I3 and rotatable with a toothed pinion engaging a rack I5 secured to the base frame I6 of the machine. Suitable locking means (not shown) may be provided to secure support in a desired position.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the pulley 9 is rotatably supported at the end of a plunger I! slidable in a cylindrical cavity of the support l3 and pushed outward by the band tensioning compression spring I8.

In the position shown in Fig. l, the liquid head under which there-isthe outlet cross-section of the spout 4-2, .is .represented by the height difference it. As shown in Fig. 3 the crucible H may be moved to a difierent position upon rotation of the crank handle it byfa certainamount in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1.

Under such conditions, the inclination of 'the crucible ll increases and thus also jlQEtd increases, under which thereis the outlet crosssection of the spout.

The continuous speed changer fiprovidesior possible difierences of pouring adjustments as well as to vary the speed of the casting wheeler drum I in compliance with particular working requirements of theparticulanmetal .to be cast.

yarious mod-ifications may be-made ,withinthe spirit of the invention and the scope of ,theappended claims. 1

Havin now particularly vclescribed and -asce tained the nature of my said invention and in what manner --tl 1e same is to be performed, I declare ,-;that what :I claim is: 1.-;In,appara;tus for thecontinuous(casting of molten metal which has having an annular ,=channel ,rotatably supported on a base struct e ,and which ,also has a movable flexible .ribbonienclosing an arcuate portion of the channelythe combination with said Wheel and ribbon of supporting .means rotatably mounted on the base structure coaxially with thegaxis of rota- -tion.of1the swhee'l and extending radially beyond ;-the periphery ,of .athe wheel, .-a pulley rotatably mounted .on .said supporting .means and supporting the movable ribbon taut over the aforesaid arcuateportion of the channel in a :looped configuration, crucible means mounted on said supporting means in a position so that at :least a portion'ofsaid crucible extends within the loop ofthe ribbon, said'crucible means having-a spout directed into the aforesaid channel, and adjust.- ablemeans for rotating said supporting means .about the axis of rotation of the wheel to move said pulley and crucible means relative to the periphery of the wheel through an arc and control the rate of flow from said crucible means.

2. In apparatus for the continuous casting of molten metal which'has a wheel having an annular channel rotatably supported on a base structure and which also has a movable-flexible ribbon enclosing an arcuate portion of the chan- -nel,-the combination with said wheel and ribbon of a support member rotatably mounted on the base structure coaxially with the .axis of rotation of the wheel and extending radially beyond the "periphery of the wheel, a pulley rotatably mounted on said support member and supporting the movable ribbon taut over the aforesaid arcuate portion of the channel in a looped configuration, crucible means mounted on said support member in a position so that at least a portion of said crucible extends within the p of the ribbon, said crucible means having a spout directed into ithe aforesaid -channel,' amack-mounted on the base structure, :and control means including a pinion rotatably mounted on said support mem- Ejber and engaging said rack for rotating said supportmember about the axis of rotation of the ,wheel ;to--move said pulley and crucible means relative to the periphery of the wheel through ;arc ;an 'd control the rate of flow from said crucible means.

'3. In apparatus for the continuous casting of ;;molten ,metal which 'has a wheel having an annular channel rotatably supported on a base structure and which also has a movable flexible ribbon enclosing an arcnate portion of the channel, :t-hecombination =W th id Wheel d ribbon of supporting gmeans rotatably ;.mounted on the base.structurexcoaxially with the axis. of rotation of the wheeland :extending diagonally upward beyond theperiphery of the wheel, a-pulleyrotatably mounted on :saidsupporting meansiand supporting the ,movableribbon taut rover ,the aforesaid arcuat-e portion of ,the :channel in la looped configuration, crucible :;mear1 s mountcd on said supporting ,means aposition so that at least .a portion-pf said-crucible extends within the loop of the-,ribbonsaid,crucible means ,having a pouring spout-= extending:downwardly fromrthe bottom thereof into the aforesaid channel and :said crucible being shaped. so that the head of any fluid therein with respect to the tip of saidspout .varies as the pivotal pflfiitionpfrsaid crucible about the axis of rotation pf the wheel ;-is altered, andadjustable ;means for rotating said supporting means about the axis of ,rotation 10f the wheel .to move said pulley and crucible means relative to the periphery ,of the wheel'through an arc and control the flow=fromlsaid pouring-spout.

IL RIO BROP-ERZI.

'Beferenoes flited ;in1th e file of this patent .UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Date 

